Levasseur v. Wainwright

Jan 9, 1984
No. 83-5670; No. 83-5695; No. 83-5701; No. 83-5705
Reporters:
,
Before:
Brennan

Lead Opinion

Sup. Ct. Va.;

Sup. Ct. Ala.;

C. A. 11th Cir.; ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍and

Sup. Ct. Tenn. Certiorari denied. Reported below: No. 83-5670, 225 Va. 564, 304 S. E. 2d 644; No. 83-5695, 435 ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍So. 2d 1351; No. 83-5701, 709 F. 2d 1443; No. 83-5705, 655 S. W. 2d 903.





Dissenting Opinion

Justice Brennan and ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍Justice Marshall,

dissenting.

Adhering to our views that the death penalty is in all circumstances cruel and unusual ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍punishment prohibited by the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments, Gregg v. Georgia, 428 U. S. 153, 227, 231 (1976), we would grant ‍​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​​​​​‌​‌​‌​‌​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‌‌‌​​‌​​​‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌​‌‌‌‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌‌‌​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​​‌‌‌‌​​‍certiorari and vacate the death sentences in these cases.